From EP-A-0 051 252 an injection mould is known for manufacturing disc-like plastic objects with a central hole, which mould comprises:
It is an object of the invention to improve this known injection mould in a number of respects.
In this respect the invention provides such an injection mould for manufacturing disc-like plastic objects with a central hole, which mould is characterized in that:
It is noted that EP-A-0 825 008 provides a similar apparatus which is equipped for simultaneously producing two disc-like plastic objects.
Further WO92/08597 discloses a similar apparatus wherein only heating means have been provided around the channel.
In order to combine a reliable closure of the valve with a low pressure on valve body and valve seat in the contact surfaces, an embodiment is recommended in which the valve body has substantially the same shape as the valve seat.
Use can be made of an annular ring of passage openings with which the channel debouches in the mould cavity. An embodiment is however recommended in which the channel debouches in the mould cavity via an annular opening. In this preferred embodiment an inflow is ensured which is as homogenous as possible.
In a specific embodiment the mould according to the invention has the feature that at least the outer surface of the valve body has a hardness which corresponds at least to that of hard metal.
This latter embodiment can advantageously have the special feature that at least said outer surface consists of ceramic material.
A specific embodiment has the special feature that the third mould part is carried slidably by the guide sleeve by means of a number of guide protrusions present on the guide sleeve and/or on the third mould part. The guide protrusions can be arranged as desired on the inner surface of the guide sleeve or on the outer surface of the third mould part, or a combination thereof. These guide protrusions can advantageously be placed in angularly equidistant manner. For reasons of production technique it is recommended to form the guide protrusions, for instance in the form of ribs, on the third mould part. The guide protrusions must then have a certain dimension in axial direction or use is made of separate protrusions located at mutual axial distance. A reliable axial guiding is hereby realized. The guide protrusions preferably have such a large active surface area in common with the surface co-acting therewith that the pressure between the relevant surfaces is very small. This enhances the lifespan and low friction.
For optical information carriers such as CD-audio, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-i, DVD and the like, it is of the greatest importance that the optical quality of the information carriers, usually consisting of polycarbonate, meets the very highest set standards. In order to realize this objective the mould according to the invention comprises in a preferred embodiment first cooling means acting in the centre zone of the mould cavity for cooling plastic flowing into the mould cavity, which centre zone extends over an area with a diameter of (0.30 ± 0.15) times the diameter of the mould cavity. A substantial quality improvement can be realized by thus tempering the inflowing plastic.
According to another aspect of the invention, in an embodiment in which the valve body has the same shape as the valve seat and the channel debouches via an annular opening into the mould cavity, the mould according to the invention can have the special feature that the relevant shape is a conical shape.
A specific variant has the special feature that the top angle of the conical shape has a value of (20 ± 5)°.
According to another aspect of the invention the mould can have the special feature that the pressure member is a pressure cylinder which is provided with second cooling means.
In order to allow the above described guide protrusions to move with the least possible friction over the surface co-acting therewith, the mould can in accordance with another aspect of the invention have the special feature that the guide protrusions co-act with the adjacent surface by means of a friction-reducing coating, for instance TiN, DLC (diamond-like carbon).
Such a coating must be heat-resistant and wear-resistant.
According to yet another aspect of the invention the mould can have the special feature that the coating is applied to all surfaces of the channel and is also of a type which has anti-stick properties relative to the plastic flow-past, for instance TiN, DLC (diamond-like carbon).
In a specific embodiment the mould has the special feature that the valve body is releasably connected to the rest of the third mould part and consists of a material with poor heat conduction, for instance a ceramic material. In this case the valve body, which is subject to erosion and ageing by pressure, can be replaced as desired. The low thermal conduction through the valve body also prevents undesired thermal couplings being formed.
The invention further provides an injection moulding unit comprising at least two injection moulds according to the present invention.
The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the annexed drawings. In the drawings:
Figures 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 show an injection mould 1 for manufacturing disc-like plastic objects with a central hole. The mould comprises a first mould part 2, a second mould part 3 displaceable relative to this first mould part 2 by means of generally known first displacing means (not shown), which two mould parts 2, 3 are displaceable by means of first displacing means between a closed first position shown in figures 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, in which they bound together with a ring 5 a mould cavity 6 corresponding to the shape of an object for manufacture, and an open second position designated with 7 in which a formed object 8 can be taken out; a third mould part 4 (see also figure 3) which in an active position extends in the closed position of the first and second mould parts 3, 4 as according to figures 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 through the mould cavity 6 defined thereby and in the region of this mould cavity 6 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the central hole 9 of object 8, which third mould part 4 is axially displaceable with the first and second mould parts 2, 3 between said active position in which it forms a partial boundary of mould cavity 6 and a retracted rest position as drawn in figures 4, 5, 7, 8 by means of second displacing means to be described hereinbelow by means of a guide sleeve 10 forming part of first mould part 2; which third mould part 4 bounds with guide sleeve 10 a channel 11 which is connectable at its free end 12 remote from mould cavity 6 to injection nozzle 13 of an injection moulding device 14, which channel 11 can be selectively opened and closed at its end 15 adjacent to the mould cavity by means of a valve consisting of a valve seat which is formed by a part 16 of inner surface 17, 35 of guide sleeve 10 widening towards mould cavity 6 and a valve body which is formed by a widened portion on the relevant end 19 of third mould part 4 such that in the open active situation of valve 16, 18 the channel 11 debouches in annular manner into mould cavity 6 and in the closed rest position of valve 16, 18 the channel 11 is separated from mould cavity 6; which valve body 18 can be displaced to the active position of the valve (figure 6) by the pressure of the plastic 20 supplied through channel 11 and can be displaced to the rest position by a pressure member 21 extending through second mould part 3, wherein the activity of pressure member 21 and the supply of plastic 20 never occur simultaneously; and first heating means 122 and second heating means 123 co-acting with guide sleeve 10 for keeping plastic 20 present in channel 11 in plastic state. The pressure of the plastic fed through the channel and the pressure member thus form the second displacing means.
An annular constriction 37 serves as stop for mould part 4.
As shown in the figures, valve body 18 can have substantially the same shape as valve seat 16. The drawings show that the shape in question is a conical form with a top angle of about 20°. With the described structure the channel 11 debouches in the region of valve 16, 18 into mould cavity 6 via an annular opening, at least in the active position shown in figure 6.
The third mould part 4 has the shape of a torpedo, as shown clearly in figure 3, and has a generally elongate shape with three guide ribs 22, 23, 24, which are slidable over inner surface 17. Because ribs 22, 23, 24 extend over a substantial axial distance and fit with little clearance inside said cylindrical surface 17, the third mould part 3 is carried in easily slidable manner without substantial radial variation.
Cooling means are selectively active in the centre zone of mould cavity 6. These consist of a cooling element 25 with cooling channel 26 formed integrally with first mould part 2 or separated therefrom in accordance with the annexed drawings. The front surface 27 of element 25 lies precisely in the same plane as front surface 28 of mould part 2. The effect of the operation of these cooling means 25, 26 is that in the situation according to figure 6 plastic flowing into mould cavity 6 is cooled, which is found to result in a greatly improved optical quality of the formed disc-like objects, this being particularly important in the case of transparent disc-like information carriers.
Pressure cylinder 21 can be thermally coupled to a cooling channel 29.
In the present embodiment all surfaces of third mould part 4 and of channel 11 suitable for this purpose are provided with a coating which has anti-stick properties in respect of the plastic 20 flowing past, is heat-resistant, wear-resistant and reduces the friction between guide ribs 22, 23, 24 and surface 17. An example of such a coating is titanium nitride (TiN), diamond-like carbon (DLC) or the like.
The protrusion 19 serving as valve body is connected in the manner shown particularly clearly in figure 3 to the rest of the third mould part 4 by means of a screw 30. The valve body can thus be replaced by another valve body and can moreover consist of a different material. The material of the valve body is a material which is a poor heat conductor, for instance a ceramic material. The fact that valve body 18 is exchangeable and connected releasably to the rest of the mould part 4 has the advantage that it can be replaced in the case of wear and can moreover be manufactured from a relatively expensive material without this substantially increasing the total cost of mould part 4, 18.
Guide sleeve 10 is connected to cooling element 25 via a thermally insulating ring 31. Heating element 122 is thus thermally separated from cooling element 25. Hereby is realized in reliable manner that the plastic present in channel 11 is kept in the heated plastic state while the plastic is cooled as it flows into mould cavity 6.
In the situation of figure 4 the mould 1 is placed in the closed position by displacing second mould part 3 as according to arrow 32. Valve 16, 18 is closed and the plastic 20 present in channel 11 is pressureless.
Figure 5 shows the situation in which the mould is closed and mould cavity 6 is formed.
Figure 6 shows the following phase in which the plastic 20 in channel 11 is placed under pressure, whereby valve body 18 is displaced to the situation shown in figure 6 in which valve 16, 18 is opened and the plastic is injected via an annular injection zone. In this situation cooling liquid flows through cooling channel 26 for cooling of front surface 27. A certain after-pressure is also exerted after injection. During this phase cooling liquid also flows through cooling channel 29.
Injection is hereby completed. As shown in figure 7, pressure cylinder 21 is displaced to the right as according to arrow 33, whereby valve body 18 is pressed against the valve seat and the valve thereby closed once again. It is noted that under all conditions there is a cylindrical outer surface part 34 of mould part 4 which co-acts with the cylindrical inner surface 17, 35 of channel 11. These two surfaces define the smallest through-flow opening under all conditions. In the situation according to figure 6 this cylindrical through-flow opening connects via an annular radial passage onto the conical passage defined by valve 16, 18. After the situation shown in figure 7 has been reached the disc-like product 8 is finished and the mould can be opened.
Figure 8 shows that for this purpose mould part 3 is displaced to the left as according to arrow 36 such that disc 8 can be taken out.
It is noted that a so-called stamper has been omitted from the drawing, i.e. a disc-like insert in the mould cavity in which the information for transferring onto the information carrier is displayed in negative form.
After the situation shown in figure 8 has been reached the manufacturing cycle is ended and the device returns to the situation shown in figure 5 for the manufacture of a subsequent object.
Figure 9 shows a part of an injection mould 101 which forms part of the dual injection moulding unit 102 shown in figure 11.
Mould 101 largely corresponds with mould 1 according to figure 2. An essential difference is the form of the helical guide ribs to be described hereinbelow.
It is pointed out with reference to figure 3 that guide ribs 22, 23, 24 are substantially straight in the embodiment shown therein. Mould 101 of figure 9 has a third mould part 103 with guide ribs 104, 105, 106 which, as shown, have a generally helical shape, are in angularly equidistant arrangement and have identical shapes.
In respect of mould 101 reference is otherwise made to mould 1 according to figure 2.
Figure 10 shows the general torpedo-like third mould part 103.
Attention is drawn to the fact that the conical widening 19 of third mould part 4 according to figure 3 is embodied in slightly different manner than in third mould part 103 according to figure 10. This is however not important either functionally or for a good understanding of the invention.
Figure 11 shows that the injection moulding unit 102 comprises two moulds of the type according to figure 9. These two moulds are therefore designated with the same reference numeral, i.e. 101. Attention is drawn to the fact that each of the two moulds comprises a pneumatic pusher unit 107 for urging third mould part 103 to a closed position as shown in figure 9 after the forming of a plastic object. In this position the conical widened portion 19 closes sealingly in the manner of a valve body against the correspondingly formed conical valve seat 16. For the sake of conciseness reference is otherwise made to figures 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 for the operation of mould 101.
Finally, figure 12 shows a dual injection moulding unit 108 with two injection moulds 109, 110 in an embodiment other than that shown in figure 11 with reference to unit 102.
In injection moulding unit 102 each of the moulds 101 is provided with a third mould part 103 as according to figure 10. This mould part is slidingly shiftable in channel 111. In the embodiment according to figure 12 the third mould part 112 is likewise axially shiftable but is guided slidably in the double hot-runner 114 via a continuous hole 113 by means of a guide stem 115 forming part of third mould part 112.
The multiple hot-runner 114 connects with its inlet channel 115 in the same manner as shown in figure 1 onto a plastic-plasticizing and injecting unit of a per se known type. Inlet channel 115 branches into two channels 116, 117 respectively which each supply a part-flow of plastic to the respective moulds 101, 101 respectively 109, 110.
In respect of the embodiments according to figures 11 and 12 respectively it is noted that the advantages in the embodiment of figure 12 may lie in the fact that the plastic flow in the direction of valve 16, 19 is influenced less and has more the character of a cylindrical jacket-like flow. A widened portion 118 acting as stop can further be positioned in very simple manner outside mould 109, 110. A drawback of the structure of figure 12 may be that the hot-runner is not fully closed, as is very much the case in the embodiment according to figures 1, 2, 9, and that plastic leakage can therefore occur as a result of the very high injection pressures.
The invention is not limited to the described embodiments.